Frank Knoche, Dr. (PhD)

CEO at headfinders.com | Shaping the Future of Headhunting | Results-Driven Leader | Top Executive Coach

Transformative Leaders. Fast. ⚡

I help companies across technology, healthcare, professional services, and other industries find extraordinary leaders who drive bold transformations - quickly, transparently, and backed by a 100-day replacement assurance.

With 15+ years of experience, I combine boutique executive search with AI-powered efficiency to deliver:

⚡ Rapid Access to Talent: 3-5 rigorously assessed executives in ~10 business days
💡 Transparent Process: Clear milestones and upfront pricing
🤝 100-Day Replacement Assurance: Confidence-backed placements

If you’re ready to move faster, hire smarter, and secure leaders who transform, scale, and deliver results, let’s connect.

Beyond executive search, I bring extensive expertise in top executive coaching, business transformation, and new business development. I have led programs for international corporations and mid-sized companies, guiding them through major transitions, including IT transformation processes, the launch of new digital products, and preparing senior leaders for critical negotiations.

I hold a PhD in Health Sciences and Economics, and am also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, PRINCE2 Practitioner, and Professional Scrum Master (PSM I). I am passionate about creating value for my clients, empowering teams, and driving innovation within the executive search industry.

CEO. Chief People Officer. Headhunter. Executive Search

I serve as key executive search consultant for listed and non-listed companies in both transformation situations and for startups. I cooperate with investors and family offices to advise privately held companies in finding the right heads. Industry focus: Technology, healthcare, professional services. Regional focus: Central and Eastern Europe.

Major Responsibilities
Serving as key external recruitment consultant for top positions, organizing the entire selection and hiring process to select right candidates for the job.

Key Deliverables
• Placed new CEOs, CFOs, CCOs, and other top-level people; One of the placed candidates received “CIO of the year” award.
• Convinced a top manager of a 100K people company to take over the global sales role in a start-up.

Act in December, Gain 6 Months

Executive teams that wait until January are already behind. The smart ones act now, and here’s why:

1️⃣ Beat the January rush – Fewer searches, more top talent.
2️⃣ Access the strongest leaders – The candidates who can truly transform your organization are still available.
3️⃣ Start the year ahead – Onboard by Q2 and hit the ground running while others are still catching up.

Strategic leadership hires aren’t just about filling a role - they’re about shaping the future. Wait, and your competitors will define the talent landscape before you even enter the game.

👉 The best leaders won’t wait - why should you?

#Leadership #ExecutiveSearch #TalentAdvantage #FutureReady #StrategicHiring #HR2026 #2026

Talks about #headhunter, #leadership, #headhunting, #executivesearch, and #executivecoaching

Fast, High-Impact Executive Search for Transformative Leaders ⚡ | Boutique + AI-Enabled | Executive Coaching

Most hiring problems aren’t caused by bad candidates - they’re caused by unclear expectations.

Leadership roles get evaluated with engineering frameworks.
Engineering roles get evaluated with leadership expectations.

It’s no surprise misalignment shows up everywhere.

#ExecutiveSearch #TechRecruiting #TechLeadership

Most leaders think December is a hiring dead zone.

Reality check: It’s one of the best times to approach senior executives.

Why?

🔹 Executives are reflecting on their careers and futures.
🔹 Calendars are lighter, making discreet conversations easier.
🔹 By January, many top candidates have already made decisions.

I’ve seen boards lock in transformational hires in December - and competitors only realized it months later.

👉 Do you think December is underrated for executive hiring?

#ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipHiring #StrategicTiming

Most business leaders will coast through the next weeks until Christmas. ❄️ Will you?

Many see the year winding down. The best leaders see it as the launchpad for the next year. 

Companies that act now:
✅ Audit their leadership team
✅ Expose critical skill gaps
✅ Strengthen their bench

…enter January miles ahead of competitors.

Ask yourself:
🔹 Who on your leadership team could be better positioned to drive 2025 growth?
🔹 What skills are missing that could slow your business next year?
🔹 If change hits tomorrow, who is ready to step up?

December isn’t downtime.
It’s a moment of truth. ⚡

👉 Business leaders: What bold decision will you make this month that others won’t?

#Leadership #ExecutiveStrategy #TalentManagement #BoldMoves #ExecutiveSearch

As someone who’s admired Peter Drucker since my studies, this is a great reminder: real leadership happens when we listen to what isn’t being said.

Alignment is the hidden reason most leaders fail. I help them fix it for good.

Most people listen to reply.

Leaders listen to understand.

Many of us focus on the words.
But the real message is almost always underneath them.

Peter Drucker captured it well:
“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”

I first came across Drucker’s work at university. I travelled to leadership conferences around the world trying to understand what great leadership looked like in practice.

One of those events was the Hesselbein Global Leadership Summit in Pittsburgh. I was lucky enough to meet Frances Hesselbein in person. She had a calm, steady presence that made every room feel heard.

While I was there, I learned that Frances worked closely with Peter Drucker for many years. She led the Peter F. Drucker Foundation and became one of the clearest examples of his philosophy in action. Drucker often described her as one of the most effective leaders he had ever observed.

Her way of listening showed me that communication is never just information. It is attention, presence and connection.

That lesson stayed with me long after the event.

Later, in my coach training with the Co-Active Training Institute, I learned the three levels of listening.

Level 1
→ Your attention is on your own thoughts
→ You hear the other person, but your mind is busy with your reactions or what you want to say next

Level 2
→ Your attention is fully on the other person
→ You hear their words with clarity because nothing internal is pulling you away

Level 3
→ You listen to the whole person
→ You notice tone, emotion, energy shifts, hesitation and the things that never make it into language

That third level is where Drucker’s quote comes alive.
It is where people feel seen.
It is where trust grows.
And it is where the real work of leadership begins.

If you want to communicate with more clarity and care, start by listening for what is not being said.

What’s something you’ve learned to notice that isn’t said out loud?

♻ Repost to help more leaders become better listeners.
➕ Follow Liam Darmody for more.

🎄 December is for the Deciders.

If your company is planning to hire a Tech, Cloud, or Transformation Leader for 2026, waiting until January puts you behind the market.

I’m offering an exclusive year-end advantage for companies starting their search this December:

👉 Initial retainer: €5,000
(Applicable only to searches initiated before December 31st)

No fluff. No gimmicks. Just stronger conditions for teams ready to move fast.

📩 Message me here on LinkedIn - let’s talk about how to secure exceptional leadership early.

#ExecutiveSearch #ExecutiveHiring #TechLeaders

🎅 Nikolausgeschenk für Hiring Manager und CHROs: Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihre Spitzenkräfte für 2026.

Wer wartet, verliert - wer jetzt handelt, startet das neue Jahr einen Schritt voraus. Unternehmen, die ihre Führungskräfte-Suche noch im Dezember starten, erhalten einen exklusiven Jahresendvorteil:

🎁 Erste Retainer-Rate: 5.000 €
(Gilt nur für Mandate, die bis 31.12. gestartet werden)

Exklusive Vorteile für Unternehmen, die in 2025 noch aktiv werden.

📩 Schreiben Sie mir direkt hier auf LinkedIn und sichern Sie sich die Führungstalente, die Ihr Unternehmen 2026 voranbringen.

#ExecutiveSearch #FührungskräfteIT #TopTalente

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